I stepped out of the front door, the cool night air washing over my face, stripping away the scent of sex and musk that clung to my skin.
Chip and my Clone were standing by the rusted fence, looking up at the moon.
I walked toward them. My movements were silent, ghost-like. As I reached the Clone, I didn't stop. I walked through him.
Whoosh.
There was no sound, only a slight ripple in the air that Chip didn't notice. The Clone dissolved into pure mana, absorbed instantly into my body. The memories flooded my mind in a split second—every word they had exchanged while I was breaking his mother inside the house.
Chip: "Master, my leg... it feels hot. Not like a fever, but like... a furnace."
Clone: "That is the seed taking root."
I placed a hand on Chip's shoulder. The boy jumped slightly, then relaxed when he saw it was me. He didn't realize the switch had even happened.
"So," I said, my voice projecting a fatherly warmth. "The heat in your leg is bothering you?"
"Yes, Priest-sama," Chip nodded vigorously. "It feels... restless."
"That is good. It means the process has begun," I explained, pacing slowly around him. "Becoming a God Knight is not instantaneous, Chip. It is a ladder. Let's say you are currently Level 1."
"Level 1?" Chip asked, his eyes wide.
"Yes. The beginning. Level 1 is physical change—the limb regenerating, the body adapting. Level 2 is the Aura, where you learn to project your will. By Level 5, your senses will sharpen beyond human limits. That is the confirmation point—the threshold where you prove if you are truly worthy to serve Lunaria."
I paused, expecting a question, but Chip cut me off. His face was serious, illuminated by the moonlight.
"I know about her," Chip said suddenly. "I asked the old people in the slums about your Deity. They told me stories."
I raised an eyebrow, amused. "Oh? And what did they say?"
"They said Goddess Lunaria is the Deity of Life, Light... and Desire," Chip recited, his voice filled with newfound reverence.
"Go on," I urged, impressed that the slum elders remembered the Old Scripture.
"In the beginning, there was only Man and Woman," Chip continued, reciting the lore with passion. "But because of Her love for the forest, She breathed life into the trees, creating the first Elves. Because of Her love for the water, She kissed the waves, creating the Mermaids. Because of Her love for the wind, She created the Angels to reside on the highest peaks."
He looked at his hands, then at me.
"And for Humans... out of Her love for the harvest and the need to protect the land, She gifted us the drive to create offspring. To desire one another so that life would never fade." Chip frowned slightly. "But we forgot. We became too many. We became greedy and self-serving. We took the gift of Desire and twisted it."
I stared at the boy. It was a sanitized version of the truth, but it suited my needs perfectly. He understood that Desire was holy. That meant he wouldn't question what I did to his mother, or what I would eventually do to others.
"Correct," I said softly. "That is why we are here, Chip. My duty is to preserve Life." I pointed a finger at his chest. "And your duty is to protect those who believe in Her."
"I will," Chip vowed.
"Then let us awaken the spark."
I reached out and pressed two fingers against his chest. I didn't use the Void this time. I tapped into the friction, the mana I had absorbed from Kara, and channeled a fraction of it into the boy.
Fwoosh.
Chip gasped as a wave of warmth exploded from his heart, rushing down to his new leg. It wasn't just heat anymore; it was fire.
"A Flame User," I whispered, the words lost in the night breeze.
Before my eyes—invisible to Chip—a Blue Panel flickered into existence, hovering over the boy's head.
[Target: Chip][Class: Novice God Knight (Proto-Type)][Attribute: Solar Flame][Loyalty: Exalted][Level: 1 - 2%]
"Here," I said, reaching into the infinite storage of my robes. "Take this."
I pulled out a heavy, thick tome bound in black leather. To an untrained eye, it looked like a standard religious text, perhaps a Bible from Earth. But the cover told a different story. Embossed in silver was a strange, unsettling sigil: a woman in prayer, her hands clasped in devotion, with a massive, stylized Octopus rising behind her, its tentacles forming a halo around her head.
Chip accepted it with two hands, his eyes wide. The book hummed with a faint, violet mana.
"You could call it the Holy Scripture of our sect," I explained. "But for you, it is a lifeline. It will be our means of communication as I travel to spread the word of Lunaria."
"Communication?" Chip asked, running his thumb over the strange logo.
"Open it."
He cracked the book open. The pages were blank, but as he looked at them, ink began to bleed onto the paper, forming words in real-time.
"This is also your Training Manual," I continued. "A regiment will be shown to you every day. You need to complete it to increase your current Level. There will be missions, rewards, and guidance. Check it often."
I reached into my robe again.
"And this."
I pulled out a simple silver chain holding a heavy, unadorned cross.
"You can lose the book, but this... this will be part of you."
I placed the necklace around his neck.
CLINK.
The moment the silver touched his skin, it seemed to tighten slightly, pulsing with warmth.
"As you pass the Trial at Level 5, this cross will shift form. It will become a weapon tailored to your specific aptitude. Sword, spear, shield... it depends on your soul."
Chip looked at the cross, clutching it tightly. "Thank you, Master! I won't let you down."
"Don't thank me yet," I said dryly. "Check your regiment for today."
Chip looked back down at the book. The ink swirled and settled into a simple command.
[Daily Quest: The Foundation][Task: Run 10 laps around the perimeter of the Slums.][Time Limit: 45 Minutes.]
"Run ten times around the perimeter?" Chip scoffed, a confident grin breaking out on his face. "That's it? I've been running from guards my whole life. This is easy!"
"Is it?" I asked, a cruel smile touching my lips.
I snapped my fingers.
SNAP.
Dark energy coiled around Chip's ankles.
CLANK.
Heavy, invisible weights slammed onto his legs. They weren't physical shackles, but Void Bindings—gravity magic.
"Oof!" Chip buckled, his knees hitting the dirt. "W-what is this?!"
"You said it was easy," I replied, crossing my arms. "A God Knight does not train with mere gravity. You carry the weight of your duty now. Go."
Chip gritted his teeth. He struggled to his feet, his new leg trembling under the pressure, but the solar heat within it flared up, fighting the weight.
"Yes... Master!"
He took off.
It wasn't a run; it was a grueling slog. I watched as he disappeared into the alleyways, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Thirty minutes later, he returned.
He was drenched in sweat, his clothes clinging to his frame, steam literally rising from his prosthetic leg. He had done it.
"I... I did it..." he panted, collapsing in front of me.
"Stand up," I commanded. "The mana is circulating. Your body is hot. Now is the time to temper the steel."
Chip scrambled up, adrenaline overriding his fatigue. The heat in his leg was palpable now—a soft orange glow emanating from beneath his trousers.
"You said you learned the basics of hand-to-hand combat from watching the guards and the War God's disciples?" I asked.
"Yes!" Chip took a fighting stance, fists raised.
"Then kick me."
"What? But Master, I might burn—"
"Kick me," I interrupted, my voice dropping. "If you can."
Chip yelled, channeling the heat. He spun, throwing a roundhouse kick aimed at my ribs.
FWOOSH!
Flames actually erupted from his foot—a jagged arc of orange fire.
I didn't move my feet. I simply leaned back an inch. The fiery foot passed harmlessly in front of my chest.
"Again."
SWISH. WHOOSH.
Chip unleashed a barrage. Low kick, high kick, a clumsy jab. The fire was wild, uncontrolled, scorching the air, but I was like smoke. I swayed, ducked, and sidestepped, my hands clasped behind my back the entire time.
"Too slow," I boredly noted. "You are telegraphing."
Chip roared, frustration mounting. He put everything into a flying kick, aiming for my head.
HYAH!
I stopped dodging.
In the blink of an eye, I stepped into his guard.
ZIP.
I vanished.
Chip's kick hit empty air. He landed, stumbling, looking around frantically.
"Master?"
I was already behind him, back-to-back.
"Chip," I whispered.
I didn't use a weapon. I simply projected Killing Intent. I focused a beam of pure, concentrated bloodlust at the back of his neck.
SHING.
The sound was psychological—the sound of a blade severing bone.
Chip froze. His eyes went wide. His hands flew to his neck, frantically feeling for his head, expecting it to be rolling on the ground. He fell to his knees, gasping for air, checking his throat.
"I'm... I'm dead..." he stammered. "My head... it's gone..."
He touched his skin. It was intact.
He turned around slowly, looking up at me with terror. I was standing there, smiling benignly.
"What... what was that, Master?" he whispered, shaking.
"That was Killing Intent," I explained, leaning down. "A true warrior can cut his enemy without ever drawing a blade."
I tapped his forehead.
"Hone your skills. Learn to control the flame. But remember this, Chip: The power I gave you is for Protection, not for starting fights. If you use this power for aggression, for glory, or to bully the weak... the System will know."
I lied effortlessly.
"Your Level will be reduced. You will lose your power."
Chip gulped, nodding furiously. "I understand! I swear, I will only use it to protect!"
"Good."
I straightened up. "I will start tomorrow!" Chip beamed, his fear replaced by determination. Then, his face fell as reality set in. "But... Mom? Is she okay?"
I looked toward the house, where Kara lay comatose in a pool of my fluids.
"She will be fine," I lied smoothly. "The medicine I gave her is potent. It induces a deep, healing sleep. She needs absolute rest. Do not disturb her tonight."
I glanced back at the dark house. I knew exactly how she was sleeping—sprawled out, covered in my fluids, exhausted beyond measure.
"Gaston will come by in the morning to pick her up," I added. "You focus on your training."
"Yes, Master! Thank you!" Chip bowed low, his gratitude radiating off him like heat waves.
"Goodnight, my Knight."
I turned and walked away, my robes billowing in the night breeze. As I moved into the shadows of the alleyway, the smile dropped from my face, replaced by a cold, calculating smirk.
"So... another Flame user," I muttered to myself.
The image of a shadow flashed in my mind. A towering figure wrapped in flames that burned black and red.
Puma.
Rank 7 of the Kraken. One of the Eight Abyssal Vanguards I had left behind. A monster of combat who incinerated entire battalions for sport.
"That makes two," I giggled, the sound low and distorted.
Chip was weak now. A tiny spark. But with the right... motivation... and the right fuel (like his mother), he could grow.
"I'll groom him well," I chuckled, glancing back at the small figure of the boy practicing a kick in the dirt. "And when he is ready... I will summon Puma."
I imagined the look on Puma's face when he realized he was being hunted by a child wielding his own element.
"A duel to the death," I whispered into the darkness. "What a wonderful show that will be."